U.S. Military Body Armor Saga Enters New Phase: New Trouble for Interceptor?

For the last few months, DefenseReview has been writing about the Pinnacle Armor SOV/Dragon Skin vs. Interceptor Body Armor fight. We consider this situation to be one of the most important developing news stories in the country, as it directly impacts the lives/survivability of our infantry warfighters. As the situtation has progressed, DefenseReview (DefRev) and Soldiers For The Truth (SFTT) have been virtually lone voices in the wilderness, giving the public the inside/real deal scoop on what’s really going on behind the scenes of this controversy, more specifically at U.S. Army Program Executive Office Soldier (a.k.a. PEO Soldier) and U.S. Army Natick Soldier Center/Soldier Systems Center (Natick). We’ve both also reported on just how superior Dragon Skin really is to Interceptor Body Armor. Make no mistake, Dragon Skin is hands-down, no-question-about-it superior to Interceptor Body Armor in every combat-relevant way. However, to date, the only two places you can get that info are DefRev and SFTT (as far as we are aware). For the real-deal info, we’ve been it, not the "mainstream media" outlets.

But I digress. Getting back on point, to add insult to injury for DHB Industries/Point Blank, Kessler’s article also mentions that the "Army announced yesterday it would hold an open design competition for the next generation of body armor, intended to replace DHB’s Interceptor armor." Now we’re talkin’. That’s more like it–assuming they let Pinnacle Armor play. While it’s Defense Review’s opinion that the U.S. Army should just save everybody a lot of time and money and name Pinnacle Armor SOV-2000 (Level III/III+) and/or SOV-3000 (Level IV/IV+) Dragon Skin as Interceptor’s replacement right now by sole sourcing it–as no other body armor in the world can currently touch it with regard to anti-ballistic performance against rifle rounds–we’re cautiously optimistic about the open competition the Army has planned (again, provided that they let Pinnacle participate, i.e. compete). If the competition and requisite testing are conducted fairly and Dragon Skin is allowed in, we don’t see how Pinnacle Armor can lose. Provided that the competition is conducted on the level (and Pinnacle is allowed to compete, DefRev predicts a nice big fluffy contract for Pinnacle, provided they can meet the Army’s per-unit-cost perameters and quantity requirements. With economies of scale, we think they can (meet the cost requirements). However, it’s DefRev’s understanding that the Army currently plans to limit the competition to "plates" (unconfirmed/unverified), which would effectively keep Pinnacle Armor out of the competition, since Dragon Skin employs imbricated discs (imbricated disc pattern). We hope the Army modifies this perameter, if the information we’ve received is correct. We’ll investigate it.

James Bernstein, another Newsday staff writer, has written an article titled Army deals blow to body armor maker DHB Industries that goes into more detail on the Army’s newly-announced body armor competition and DHB’s reaction to it. Bernstein quoted Mr. Ellis as saying "Quite frankly, I think we’ve got the best design out there." As outright laughable as Mr. Ellis’ statement may be to DefRev, we certainly respect his right to make it. I mean, what else can he really do, at this point. To quote Tom Cruise’s character Vincent in the movie Collateral, "…we’re into Plan B. Still breathing? Now we gotta make the best of it, improvise, adapt to the environment, Darwin, shit happens, I Ching, whatever man, we gotta’ roll with it."

That pretty much sums it up for DHB/Point Blank at present. Mr. Ellis may actually be correct when he says "We [DHB Industries] know more about that vest than anyone [referring to Interceptor OTV]." They probably do. Then again, who cares. Being the most knowledgeable company in the room about a flawed body armor system isn’t a very impressive accomplishment.

DefenseReview finds it interesting that DHB’s Director of Finance/CFO, Lawrence Litowitz, recently resigned from the company after taking over from Dawn Schlegel, who had resigned on April 7, 2006. The Associated Press (AP) reported that Litowitz’s resignation was just the latest in a series of problems at DHB. The following is from the AP:

"Litowitz’s resignation was the latest in a series of financial problems at the company, which recently missed the deadline to file its 2005 annual report as it reviews the accuracy of reported inventory levels. The company was notified in early April that it was not in compliance with American Stock Exchange listing standards because of the delayed filing. A company spokesman was not immediately available for comment. DHB is also the target of purported shareholder class action suits alleging insider sales by directors and officers.

The company has had product problems as well. On May 4 last year the Marine Corps recalled 5,277 combat vests made by DHB’s Point Blank unit after media reports about the vests’ ability to stop bullets. The Marine Corps subsequently said the vests met safety standards."

DefenseReview wouldn’t be surprised if Mr. Litowitz and Ms. Schlegel had some interesting stories from their time at the company.

Jerome Krantz, Chairman of the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors for DHB Industries, Inc., has also resigned from the company. Mr. Krantz has also been referred to as "a director of the company." DHB announced Mr. Krantz’s resignation on May 11, 2006. It’s reported that Mr. Krantz resigned for "personal reasons".

Anyway, for the sake of all of our active U.S. infantry warfighters/DefRev readers runnin’ and gunnin’ over there in the Sandbox (or soon to be doing so), we sincerely hope that the Army lifts its ban on Dragon Skin post haste, whether or not it wins the Army’s upcoming competition. They deserve the absolute best weaponry and equipment money can buy. They deserve the best chance possible of coming home alive and healthy. When it comes to the best body armor for anti-rifle protection (protection against enemy and "friendly" rifle rounds, including high-velocity and AP rifle rounds), Interceptor ain’t it, and SOV/Dragon Skin is. That’s just how it is. That’s the reality. Let’s hope that the "mainstream media" realizes it sooner rather than later and starts reporting on this, themselves. The American public deserves to know, and Defense Review will continue doing it’s part to make sure they do.

Editor’s Note: The author, David Crane, was the first journalist to write about Pinnacle Armor SOV/Dragon Skin in any technical detail, to the best of DefenseReview’s knowledge.

About David Crane

David Crane started publishing online in 2001. Since that time, governments, military organizations, Special Operators (i.e. professional trigger pullers), agencies, and civilian tactical shooters the world over have come to depend on Defense Review as the authoritative source of news and information on "the latest and greatest" in the field of military defense and tactical technology and hardware, including tactical firearms, ammunition, equipment, gear, and training.